WellesleyWeston Magazine

SPRING 2016

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 116 of 211

BROADWAY SHINES
IN WELLESLEY
Thanks to Rush's New York commute, he
brings new ideas up Interstate 95 to Wellesley.
"Kids are able to 'workshop' a new musical
each year," he says.
It's sort of a test run off Broadway to see if
or how a concept gels before it's launched
under the hot spotlights of New York. "We
started doing this in 2014, with a Broadway
performer who conducted a master class
here," says Rush. "He is also doing some pro-
ducing, and he brought us a very fast-paced
musical."
Energized Wellesley Theatre Project kids hit
the ground running (and singing) and staged
a small presentation locally in front of a test
audience last year. "The Broadway actor told us
he liked working with our kids," Rush recalls.
As a result of that experience, the Wellesley
Theatre Project team is reaching out to New
York writers and helping them develop their
work into a new show each year.
Another interesting outreach and com-
munity action initiative that differentiates the
organization from other theater groups is
their "Citizen Artist" program. "It's a great
experience for the kids," Drew explains. "We
think it's not only important to create great
pieces of theatre, but we're helping shape
great kids — that's what Citizen Artist is
about. We believe that wherever you are in
the theater it's also about being a citizen, not
just an artist."
115
s
p
r
i
n
g
2
0
1
6
|
W
e
l
l
e
s
l
e
y
W
e
s
t
o
n
M
a
g
a
z
i
n
e